Up to five radar sensors, five cameras, and twelve ultrasonic sensors register everything that happens in the vehicle’s environment – with its 40 functions and systems, the central driver assistance controller in the Audi Q8 e-tron ensures even greater convenience and traffic safety. Assistance systems relieve drivers of routine tasks, are reliable even over long distances, and help defuse potentially dangerous situations. Finally, new assistance systems in the Audi Q8 e-tron make parking in tight spaces even more convenient.
Intelligent park assist and remote park assist plus
Intelligent park assist, which will become available for order in 2023, can steer the car automatically into perpendicular and parallel parking spaces. Numerous ultrasonic sensors located in the front, rear, and side bumpers help with parking. There are also four TopView cameras mounted in the side mirrors, the tailgate opener, and the radiator grille. It also helps drivers to find a suitable parking space: when activated via the MMI, the ultrasonic sensors measure the size of potential roadside parking spaces in the streets of the driver’s destination as the vehicle drives past at a moderate speed. The system reliably identifies and measures perpendicular parking spaces up to a maximum speed of 20 km/h and parallel parking spaces up to a maximum speed of 30 km/h. If a suitable parking space is identified, a message appears on the MMI display. To park the vehicle safely, the car must be in forward or reverse, the accelerator pedal gently depressed, and the brakes applied if necessary. Acoustic signals provide support, and the system automatically sets the right steering angle at the right time. If necessary, park assist parks the car in several forward and backward motions. It can also park in parallel parking spaces (the maximum speed for all parking maneuvers is 7 km/h).
Remote park assist plus, which will be available to order in the course of the coming year, offers even more convenience. Using this new system, the driver does not even have to remain within the car but can monitor parking from outside using the myAudi app on their smartphone. This is particularly useful when the Audi Q8 e-tron has to be maneuvered into a very tight parking space where getting out and back in would be difficult. During the parking maneuver, the driver must press and hold the corresponding button in the myAudi app and if the distance between the smartphone and the car exceeds six meters, the system will abort the parking maneuver for safety reasons. Once the Audi Q8 e-tron has reached its final position in the parking space, it automatically switches off, activates the parking brake, and locks the doors. When the passengers are ready to leave the parking space, the driver can start the motor in the myAudi app, at which point the vehicle maneuvers out enough so they can enter comfortably.
Route planner and efficiency assist
Assistance systems in the Audi Q8 e-tron that were designed specifically for electric-drive models include the route planner, which calculates the ideal charging strategy for long-distance drives. For more details on the route planner, see the section on battery and range. Efficiency assist supports the driver in fuel-saving driving by accessing predictive route data from the navigation system as well as car-to-x information. In order to detect traffic signs and other vehicles, the system uses the front camera and data from the car’s forward-facing radar sensors. Efficiency assist can brake and accelerate predictively as well as adjust the speed to match the course of the road and the traffic situation, also considering vehicles on the road ahead. The predictive system always matches its driving style to the selected driving program, from efficient to sporty, as well as using recuperation and gliding.
Functions on demand: adding functions after purchase
Even after the customer has ordered their Audi Q8 e-tron, the configuration process is not complete. Functions on demand lets customers add vehicle functions in the areas of lighting, driver assistance systems, and infotainment online – depending on their needs and whenever it’s convenient. This means the customer can constantly update their car to suit their individual needs, even after delivery. Functions can be purchased for different periods – by month, by year, or permanently.
Booking is done via the myAudi app or the myAudi service portal, and AudiPay makes payment convenient and secure. An example of how it works: LED headlights can be upgraded to Matrix LED headlights with intelligently controlled high beams. Other available functions include dynamic turn signals, daytime running lights with specific signatures, and dynamic lighting scenarios when the Audi Q8 e-tron is opened or locked. In terms of assistance systems, customers can add park assist in this way, for example. The Infotainment package includes the Audi smartphone interface.